Raspberry Pi 2.0 ready for release

The makers of the $40 Linux computer announce the release of a new version of the board based on feedback from owners of the Pi.

A new version of the popular $40 Raspberry Pi Linux board has been announced.

The revision of the credit card-sized computer doesn't feature major changes and is focused on incremental upgrades and fixes based on feedback from owners.

Significant updates include the ability to run a Pi with a powered-USB hub and a fix for a problem where a Pi plugged into a TV via HDMI could interfere with other devices connected to the TV.

Other changes include new mounting holes, alterations to the general-purpose input/output pins to allow for enhanced expansion and the addition of a reset circuit. A full list of the changes is available on the Raspberry Pi Foundation site.

The updated board is expected to be shipped to users once existing stocks of the Pi are exhausted.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has also announced that boards are now being manufactured in the UK for the first time.

Until recently all boards were made in China due to the foundation being unable to find a UK manufacturer with a low enough price per unit. A low price is a must for the Pi, as it was designed to be affordable to children who want to learn about coding and computers.

Premier Farnell, one of the two companies that distribute the board, shifted the manufacture of the bulk of its boards to a Sony UK plant in Pencoed in South Wales two weeks ago.

Under the initial contract, the Pencoed plant will be producing 30,000 Raspberry Pis a month - about 40 per cent of the total number of boards produced - and create about 30 new jobs.